The principal Zeonic antagonist in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is Anavel Gato of the Delaz Fleet an ultra-conservative faction loyal to Gihren Zabi. To give him an air of gravitas, if not outright menace, he was named in the narrative “The Nightmare of Solomon,” a title purportedly given to him by surviving Federation troops after his exploits during the battle.

I’m not going to say that the title isn’t deserved. The Feddies can call anyone what they want for all I care. However, I posit that there is another Nightmare of Solomon, and he’s a dark dream more menacing than anything Gato could be in the One Year War.

You see, Amuro Ray awakened his Newtype powers in the battle of Solomon. While Gato shot down maybe a dozen GMs and maybe a few more Balls, and one Federation ship, Amuro Ray shot down at least as much, and more. Amuro Ray destroyed the Big Zam – a prototype mobile armor heavily resistant to beam weapons and destroyed several Federation ships before Amuro critically damaged it in close combat. In the process, Amuro killed Dozle Zabi, one of the commanders of the Zeon war effort.

Amuro wasn’t done. Kycilia Zabi, now commander of the Newtype Corps. of the Zeon war effort sent Commander Char Aznable in a new mobile suit (Gelgoog), and a prototype mobile armor (Elmeth) outfitted with the most advanced weapons (psycommu system that controlled remote beam lasers called bits/funnels), piloted by the star pupil of the Flanagan Institute, Lalah Sune.

Lalah in the Elmeth shot down several Federation ships using the psycommu controlled bits, with Char escorting her.

If there’s anyone who indeed had nightmares after Solomon, it would be Char Aznable. His nightmares were such that it would have grave historical consequences: Char’s Counterattack.

I would say Anavel Gato eventually earned his title in light of Amuro’s achievements. He would do so years later in 0083, when he executed phase one of Operation Stardust. I think his attack on the Federation’s Naval Revue is the worst catastrophe beset on a Federation military force by a single enemy action. The fact that Gato did it using a prototype (GP02) Gundam is just extra delicious.

Are there other names, titles, or monikers in the Gundam franchise you feel that the characters who bear them do so undeservedly?

19 Responses to Nightmares of Solomon: Perspectives on a Great Battle of the One Year War of Mobile Suit Gundam

Shin Matsunaga was a Zeon OYW ace who was called “The White Wolf”, which was later extended to “The White Wolf of Solomon”, as he was stationed in the space fortress Solomon. Ironically, he did not actually participate in the Battle of Solomon!

I love following the more extended Gundam aces, fairly soon the Ridden manga’s gonna get translated if I remember correctly. I haven’t gotten to the Battle of Solomon in the Gundam movies yet, I’m somewhere early on in the second movie.

On a side note, does anyone remember if Chronicle Asher had a nickname? I could’ve sworn he did, but I haven’t actually seen Victory yet.

There is speculation in the sense that Anavel Gato was not at the Battle of Solomon.

The reason for this may be that he was making the transition from the MS-09RS Rick Dom (with which earned the nickname of the Nightmare of Solomon) to the new Gelgoog that we see is his MS in the battle of A-Bao A-Qu.

This could be the same reason for Matsunaga missed the Solomon Battle (I´ve seen a customised Gelgoog Jägger with Matsunaga’s marks).

No, the Nightmare legend it’s true, Gato was asignesd to the Solomon asteroid, where the space frontline was.

It’s was there, in the day to day skirmishes, under the command of Dozul Zabi where him earned the Nightmare of Solomon nickname.

With the character of Gato it’s curious that he would survive the Battle of Solomon to fight another day on A-Bao A-Qu (where only the strong personal intervention of Admiral Delaz spare the life of Gato), so it is believed that Gato was absent in the Solomon Battle with an unknown reason.

It’s hard for me to find a comparative example to Gato’s Nightmare of Solomon moniker. I mean Mu La Flaga was the Hawk of Endimyon (sp?), but it’s not nearly as audacious. Sanders from 08th Team did somewhat deserve the title of Team Killer or Grim Reaper given his bad/good luck on missions. I think sometimes the retconning that happened in the Universal Century makes these titles stand out as especially audacious given the circumstances.

Short of God, I think everyone should’ve been scared to death of Amuro, there’s no comparison. But fighting a gifted ace like Gato or Packard can overshadow any rumors, no matter how spectacular. Not to mention fighting Amuro was extremely deadly, especially once he went on that legendary tear at Solomon. I’m guessing enough people survived being in Gato’s presence to further tell the tale. I never actually got to see him fight, so I may be wrong.

The thing is, Uraki Kou (or maybe Chuck Keith) mentioned that they studied Gato in tactics school. This would’ve meant that there’s solid documented evidence of his exploits to have enough material worth studying both in theory and practical combat.

Now I wish there were proper lessons that way in Gundam stories. Ecole du Ciel doesn’t really reference actual tactics or specific pilots. I wish they did, because not only would it be consistent with the chronologically earlier Stardust Memory, it would be a great way to remember love.

The way i had always heard it, Gato did fight at Solomon, but retreated with the rest of the Zeon forces when Dozle called for a all out retreat. He then fought at A Boa A Qu, and fled with the Delaz fleet.

As for Amuro, Zeon called him “White Devil” for obvious reasons, and the Federation called him “White Unicorn,” Which is why Amuro’s personal insignia is a unicorn (It’s on the Nu Gundam’s shield i believe). It’s also to my understanding the RX-0 Unicorn was named in honor of him.

And therein lies the weakness of the retroactive legend-building in Gundam. Maybe if they didn’t make Gato such a menacing legend it wouldn’ve been easier to accept in light of Amuro’s truly legendary exploits.